


The Trickster's Return

by theuselessbi



Category: Persona 5
Genre: Angst, Arguing, Implied/Referenced Abuse, M/M, November 20th Interrogation (Referenced), Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Persona 5 Spoilers, Post-Canon, mild homophobia
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-06-13
Updated: 2020-07-10
Packaged: 2021-03-04 01:40:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 6,341
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24695407
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/theuselessbi/pseuds/theuselessbi
Summary: Akira pushed open the sunroof and stuck his head out. The warm ocean air hit his face and, for the first time in his life, he felt truly free. Free from probation, free from the heavy chains of the Velvet Room, and free from judgment. When he broke the chain that tethered him to Arsene and Satanael descended from the sky, he felt invincible and whole.
Relationships: Kurusu Akira/Sakamoto Ryuji, Persona 5 Protagonist/Sakamoto Ryuji
Comments: 9
Kudos: 44





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I've gone over editing this like 100 times and if I don't post it now, I never will. I hope you enjoy!

Akira pushed open the sunroof and stuck his head out. The warm ocean air hit his face and, for the first time in his life, he felt truly free. Free from probation, free from the heavy chains of the Velvet Room, and free from judgment. When he broke the chain that tethered him to Arsene and Satanael descended from the sky, he felt invincible and whole. That feeling carried him through his time in juvie, the impossible goodbyes to his family in Tokyo, and now would carry him through the new life waiting for him back home.

Akira inhaled deeply, closed his eyes, and thought back to when he first arrived one year ago. He was so lost and unsure of himself. Everyone told him to just keep quiet and out of trouble but all he felt was anger. Anger at himself, at Shido, and at his parents. At the time he needed them the most, they grew distant; they never even called to see if he made it to Sojiro’s. He pushed this thought aside and opened his eyes; staring ahead at the horizon with fierce determination to finally stay true to himself.

**2 Weeks Earlier**

Sojiro closed up shop shortly after Akira and Futaba retreated to the attic to play a new video game. He climbed the stairs to see the two sitting in front of Akira’s small tv.

“Alright I’m heading home. Make sure you walk her home and lock up for the night!” His request was met with silence. “Hello! Are you two listening?”

“Huh, yeah dad. Walk me home, lock up. Got it!” Futaba said, her eyes still glued to the tv.  
  
“Akira?” Futaba was often forgetful so he wanted to make sure Akira heard him before leaving.  
  
“Yes, I will lock up and walk her home.” Akira also didn't break his stare at the tv either but at least he repeated Sojiro’s directions.

Sojiro shook his head and started down the stairs, “I don’t know what I’m gonna do with you two.”

Futaba beat him in five rounds in a row and Akira set his controller down in defeat, “I’m gonna beat you one of these days!”

Futaba laughed maniacally. “I’d like to see you try!”

“Well I’ll need a lot more practice, as evident from today’s slaughter. You might have to come visit for our rematch.” Akira snapped his mouth shut. He hadn’t thought about his move home at all. He frowned; shocked and angry at himself for bringing it up now.

He turned to Futaba, who was looking down at the floor.

“I’m sorry Futaba. I- I don’t know why I brought that up.” Akira said. Futaba shifted uncomfortably and looked up at Akira, a few tears falling down her cheeks.

“No, you don’t have to be sorry. I shouldn’t get sad when we’ve known you’d have to go back eventually.” she paused and sniffed softly, “I don’t know what I’m going to do without you, though. I mean, you’ve helped me so much and I’m worried I’ll go back to locking myself away without you.”

Akira turned to face Futaba, “I believe in you, Futaba. You’ve come so far and you can always call me if you need anything. Anything at all.”

Suddenly, she wrapped her arms around Akira and pressed her face into his chest, “I’m going to miss you.”

He placed his head on top of hers and wrapped his arms around her small waist. “I’m going to miss you too,” Akira mumbled, just loud enough for her to hear. He tried to avoid all talk of his move because of the deep sadness and creeping anxiety he felt anytime it was mentioned. Futaba sniffled and released Akira.

“I’m sorry.” She repeated, pulling her knees up to her chest.

“I said you don’t need to apologize,” Akira said, trying to hide the sadness in his voice. “It’s just… I was pretty different when I first arrived in Tokyo… You didn’t know me then but I wasn’t... Joker.”

Futaba looked up at him, surprised. Akira never opened up to the Phantom Thieves before. “You can always talk to me about anything. You’ve helped me so much, it’s the least I can do.”

Akira looked away. He had a lot on his mind but wasn’t used to sharing. He hated appearing weak in front of others, especially his teammates, but he felt he owed Futaba the truth. She accepted him into her family with open arms and the least he could do was ease her worries about him. He sighed, “ok, yeah.” Akira recounted the story of his arrest and the early days at Sojiro’s.

“They never called you? In the whole year?” She was shocked and sad. Akira shook his head. The two sat in silence for a few minutes.

“I’m also worried, Futaba. I can’t go back to the old me. All I did was follow what they told me to do. I ignored my own feelings just to please them. I can’t go back to that. I won’t.” Akira had a pained look in his eyes.

Futaba stood up, “You are making a promise list.”

Akira looked taken aback, “A what?”

“You heard me! Right now. You are going to promise to stand up to your parents and won’t let them tell you how to live your life anymore.”

Akira thought for a moment and nodded.


	2. Chapter 2

_**Akira’s hometown** _

The early morning light crept into the small bedroom, daring to wake the former Phantom Thief. He was sprawled out on the twin bed, Morgana curled up on his chest. At first glance, one would be surprised to see a teenage boy living in this room. The walls were a simple light grey with a mundane seascape painting centered above where the bed once was. Imprints on the deep blue carpet indicated that the bed was recently pushed against the windows; he liked the morning light, and a forgotten side table now sat alone.

There were a few indications that this wasn’t just a guest room though. A large cardboard box sat unpacked in the corner, a collection of mementos carefully arranged on the shelf, and a red tapestry draped over the desk with a few nails and a hammer. A firm knock on the door caused Akira to stir, rousing him from his peaceful sleep.

“Akira! Time to get up, you have school!” His mother’s voice broke through his sleepiness.

“I’m up!” He groaned back. Instead of getting up, he rolled onto his stomach. Morgana yelped and jumped down next to his face.

“Hey!” He pushed on Akira’s face with his front paws. Akira was slowly drifting back asleep. “Come on, you gotta get up. First day of school today.”

“Mm, fine.” Akira grumbled and began getting ready for the day. He took his uniform out of the closet. It was a simple black blazer and slacks, and white button-down. He pulled on the slacks, pausing at his knee to trace his finger along an angry U-shaped scar on the side. He cringed at the memory of the brutal treatment he faced in the interrogation room. Luckily, most of his injuries didn’t leave permanent marks but the ones that did were a bitter reminder of that day. Akira forced that thought from his mind and continued dressing.

After doing the bright yellow buttons, he turned and frowned at his reflection in the mirror. The uniform was rather dull and yellow didn’t compliment him very well. Ryuji would probably look great in this, he could pull off yellow. A melancholy smile crossed his face thinking about his boyfriend. It had been a week since they parted ways and despite calling Ryuji every night and texting the group constantly, he was lonely without him and the Phantom Thieves at his side. His attention returned to getting ready for school and he tried to hunt down his school bag from before his move. It was nowhere in sight so he resigned to pulling out the black duffle from Shujin.

“Wanna come?” He said to Morgana, tossing a notebook and pen in and holding it open for the cat.

“I might draw more attention here…” Morgana said skeptically, hopping down off the bed.

“I’m sure it’ll be fine. I kept you hidden for a whole year.” Morgana made a noncommittal chirp and hopped into the open bag. He was so used to being by Akira’s side so he didn’t argue. The two made their way downstairs where his mother was reading and sipping a cup of tea in the living room.

The rest of the house was meticulously put together; like it was on display for a showroom. Television remotes were tucked into a drawer, out of sight; magazines that no one read were carefully fanned out on the coffee table, and all of the picture frames were filled with cliche phrases instead of family photos. It all had an air of sterility and sophistication that made Akira’s skin crawl. He longed for the days at Leblanc; with its vintage decor, lingering scent of coffee, and his, somewhat uncomfortable but homey, attic.

“There you are. Good, you found your uniform. Breakfast is in the kitchen. Your dad’s back from his business trip this evening so I’ll be getting him from the airport after work. You’ll be on your own this afternoon,” his mother paused, “just stay out of trouble, okay.”

“I always do.” He quipped. He knew this was a risky call but he couldn’t help himself. This is the fourth time she’s reminded him to behave since being back and he’s getting tired of hearing it. Aside from this, the two didn’t speak much since he arrived home. She was still as distant and aloof as when he left the previous year.

“Akir-“ she stopped herself and exhaled angrily, “never mind. Make sure you’re home when your father returns. We have something to discuss.”

Akira nodded, some of the anxiety creeping back. Whenever she waited for his father to be home to talk about something, it was always something bad. He didn’t do anything wrong, as far as he knew, but it was typical of her to not mention anything until his father was around too. They felt it reinforced the lesson to hear it from both of them. He set Morgana’s bag down on a chair, and began busying himself with the coffee pot in the kitchen. It was a little different than Sojiro’s but it would do. His mother got up to put her cup in the sink.

“Since when do you drink coffee?” She asked, traces of a scowl on her face.

“Sojiro has been teaching me. I can make his curry now too!” Akira said cheerfully. Thinking about mornings at the cafe with Sojiro and Futaba brought a warm smile to his face. He looked up, hoping she would be excited to hear he had been learning to cook.

His mother wasn’t so cheerful, “Akira, show Sakura-san some respect, please.” She snapped.

Akira stood shocked for a moment, his mouth agape. She had been trying to get him to learn to cook for years; saying it was a necessary life skill for a well adjusted adult, and when he finally did, she only cared about formalities. He quickly regained his calm composure.

“It’s okay. Sojiro asked me to use his first name.” He returned his attention to his cup, in an attempt to avoid her gaze further.

“Well…” she looked like she was finding the words to scold him again but couldn’t come up with anything. “Just… get to school. You can’t be late on your first day. It will look bad for all of us.” The last sentence was said quietly but Akira still caught it. He clenched his teeth in frustration. _All she thinks I’m going to do is cause trouble._ He exhaled, determined to keep a level head. A fight now wasn’t worth it if she had a family meeting planned.

The rest of breakfast was quiet. He gulped down his coffee, grabbed his bag with Morgana safety inside, and waved goodbye to his mother.

Akira stood at the front gates of his old school. Students rushed by, some doing double takes as they passed. Those who recognized him began whispering feverishly, “Are you ready?” Morgana said, his head poked out of the bag slightly to look up at Akira.

Akira looked down and smirked at the cat, “Please, we took down a god. One more year of high school is no problem.” Morgana nodded and descended into the bag. Akira zipped it up, held his head high, and made his way to the first class of the day.

He found his homeroom easily and took an empty seat by the windows. They agreed Morgana should stay in his bag during class this time so he tucked him safely at his feet and pulled out his phone. There was a text from Ryuji and a few from the Phantom Thieves group chat. He opened Ryuji’s first.

***Ryuji Sakamoto <3***

**Ryuji: I hope your first day goes better than Shujin ;) I’ll call you tonight when I'm home from the gym!**

Akira smiled at his phone and began typing.

**Akira: I sure hope so. Can’t wait to talk to you <3\. **

He hit send and opened the thieves chat.

***Be Gay Do Crimes group chat***

**Ryuji: Akira! Shujin sucks without you.**

**Ann: We miss you so much!!**

**Haru: How is the first day going?**

Akira started typing away.

**Akira: Same old here. Getting some stares and whispers but I figured as much. I am Crime Boi™️ after all ^_^**

**Futaba: I made it to school! It’s not that bad and I have the same lunchtime as Ryuji and Makoto!**

**Ann: XD**

**Akira: That’s great, Futaba! I miss you guys so much!**

**Makoto: You are all in class. Stop texting.**

**Ryuji: Ooo caught**

**Makoto: Ryuji, you too.**

**Ryuji: Hey! I sent my text before class started.**

Akira’s attention was drawn away when the classroom door opened and his teacher walked in.

“Ok, settle down. We have a new student today; Akira Kurusu, come up and introduce yourself.” Akira stood up, tucked his hands into his pockets nonchalantly, and made his way up to the front. The class broke out in whispers.

“Kurusu-kun is back? I thought he was arrested-“

“I thought he was in prison?”

“Didn’t he move to Tokyo? I heard his parents sent him off after he got his record.”

“Apparently he joined yakuza-”

Akira chuckled to himself as the whispers followed him to the front. That yakuza bit isn’t too far off, working for Iwai and all. The minute he turned to face the class, everyone went dead silent. He had their undivided attention and flashed a smirk reminiscent of Joker.

“I’m Akira Kurusu. I just moved back after a year in Tokyo. Yes, I did get arrested, no I didn’t go to prison, no I didn’t join the yakuza, and I have been proven innocent and my record has since been cleared. Figured I’d set the record straight since you are all talking about it. Any questions?”

The class was so silent, you could hear a pin drop. Everyone looked at him stunned. Clearly they thought they were being subtle, even his teacher looked speechless.

“I’ll take that as a no.” He returned to his seat and leaned back casually. Everyone was still staring but he took no mind to it. If they were going to talk about him at least it’s something he actually did.

Akira strolled down the emptying hallway at the end of the day. Whispers of his record and what he said in class were in heavy circulation so by last period, the whole school was talking about him. He didn’t mind it at this point; it was no different then Shujin. As he round the corner to the front entrance, he spotted a small group of boys crowded together. They all looked up glaring when he came into view. He could feel the hatred radiating off of them and took a mental note to watch his back around them.

He left the group behind and a voice called out to him.

“Hey Kurusu!” Akira tensed up a bit and turned to see a tall third year with short dark hair approaching him. He’s never seen them before but he kept his guard up unsure of why they would be approaching him. “Heard what you said in homeroom. Pretty gutsy. Is it true your record is cleared?”

Akira didn’t sense any hostility in their voice and nodded.

“Damn how’d that happen? Usually there's no going back?” The student rubbed the back of their head.

Akira shrugged, “Guess I just got lucky. The guy confessed to lying about it.”

They had a thoughtful look on their face, “seemed he had a change of heart, huh?” They paused, “well I’ll see you around. I’m Niko Kiyama, they/them pronouns, but please call me Niko.” They walked off, leaving Akira confused.

Morgana mewed from inside the bag and once he was a good distance from the school, Akira opened the bag and Morgana climbed up to his shoulder.

“What was that about?” He asked, a hint of concern in his voice.

“No idea. They mentioned a change of heart. Could just be a fan of the Phantom Thieves?”

Morgana was concerned by the way Niko emphasized change of heart. “I don’t know. We’ve run into fans before and they’re excited about the Thieves but I feel like they know something.”

“Yeah, doesn’t seem like a regular fan.” Akira pondered this. If Niko, or anyone for that matter, figured out Shido was the one who had him arrested, there would be a direct link from him to the Phantom Thieves. His record was clear but Nijima-san warned him that the police didn’t want his name getting out and discrediting their work. After the past year, he didn’t trust them not to throw him back in juvie; or worse go after his friends.

“I don’t know I’d watch out for them. The last thing you need is someone drawing attention to you and the Phantom Thieves again and if they somehow know who you are, it could be bad news.” Akira agreed.

“I’ll just have to be a little more cautious around here. Avoid too much trouble, you know. The administration was skeptical about letting me back as it is.” Akira had grown accustomed to staying cool under pressure from infiltrating palaces. Figuring out Niko and dealing with some bullies would be a piece of cake in comparison.

“I’ll leave it to you then, Leader.” Morgana said with ease.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for the notes and comments on the first chapter and hope you enjoy chapter 2! 
> 
> Writing sassy Akira is super fun and since P5 didn't have any lgbtq rep, I'm making my own!!
> 
> Next chapter is quite the adventure so strap in folx


	3. Chapter 3

As promised, the house was empty when they arrived home. Akira let Morgana out of his bag, made himself a cup of coffee, and sat down at the kitchen counter to do his homework.

His focus was interrupted a few hours later by the front door opening and his parents shuffling into the house. Akira got up and went into the living room.

“Hello father.” he bowed slightly and offered to take his suitcase upstairs. 

“Thank you, Akira.” His father was a tall man with stern eyes. His hair was jet black, like Akira’s, but shorter and neatly combed. He removed his shoes and coat and sat down in the living room. Akira took the suitcase and started up the stairs. “Make sure you come right back. We have something to discuss as a family.” 

Akira’s heart skipped a beat. He was hoping the family meeting would have been forgotten or his father would’ve been too tired from his trip. He called for Morgana, who had stayed in the kitchen. 

”Is he always that stuffy?” Morgana commented, padding along at his feet. Akira had gone a little pale.

“Yeah…. Especially before these family meetings. They never mean good news. I can’t imagine what I could’ve done to make them mad already.” Akira placed the bag down outside his parents door. 

“Whatta you mean? I’m sure it’s nothing. It’s the first time you’re all together after a year so maybe they just want to see how you are doing?” He scooped Morgana up off the floor and scratched his ears. 

“You don’t know my parents. Family meetings usually mean they think I did something wrong.” He said bitterly. Morgana was concerned; this Akira was totally different from the Akira in Tokyo and even in school today.

“We’re the Phantom Thieves. We can handle anything, Joker.” Morgana spotted the trace of a smirk when he said Joker.

Akira nodded before descending the stairs and entered the living room. His parents were sitting on the couch, waiting for him. He sat down in the plush armchair and placed Morgana in his lap.

“Where did you get the cat from?” His father was scowling at the black and white cat. His parents never allowed pets. His father didn’t think Akira was responsible enough and his mother disliked the fur.

“I adopted him in Tokyo Soj- uh... Sakura-san said he started coming around the cafe and let me keep him.” Akira’s voice was steady and he placed a hand protectively on Morgana’s back.

“Hm, well he’s your responsibility. Got it?” Akira nodded, resisting an eye roll. He had been taking care of Morgana for the entire year, obviously he would still be the one to take care of him now.

His mother spoke up next. “How was Tokyo? Did anything interesting happen while you were there?” There was a faux interest tainting her voice. 

Akira paused, suspicious of their intentions. He had no idea what his parents knew but Sojiro said they hadn’t contacted him all year either. Could there be a chance they heard about the Phantom Thieves? They were in the news a lot but he doubted they believed in them; a lot of people didn’t, especially after they faced Yaldabaoth. He chose his words carefully, “Not really. It started off a little rough.... but after I met Ryuji…. and my other friends, it wasn’t too bad.” His mother frowned at the mention of his boyfriend and leaned over to whisper to his father. 

“He’s the blond boy I told you about.” His father scratched his chin thoughtfully.

“Yes, your mother mentioned him.” His tone was disapproving and Akira felt his blood boil.

“He was the only person who didn’t treat me like a criminal and he is my best friend.”

“A little more than friends from what I hear?” His father sounded almost amused. Akira’s mind raced, thinking back to the trip home with his friends. They had been careful not to do anything around his mother when they arrived. Ryuji was a little upset by this but Akira wasn’t out to his parents yet. He had no idea how they would react and frankly, didn’t know if he’d be kicked out again. Right before everyone left, he stole Ryuji away from the group to say goodbye but they were careful to be out of sight, or so they thought.

“What do you-” he started.

“Don’t play dumb with us, Akira. I saw you saying goodbye to him when your friends were leaving.” Akira's heart sank. After spending nearly everyday with Ryuji, they needed a proper goodbye. He knew it would be risky but he needed those few minutes, a lingering kiss, to carry him to the next time he could see Ryuji and they had been spied on. The memory felt tarnished and corrupted now by her judgmental eyes.

“Alright, yeah I’m dating Ryuji. What are you gonna do, kick me out again?” Akira's voice shook and he tried to calm the growing fire in his chest. 

“We just want you to be honest with us.” His mother said firmly. No one spoke. The air was thick with tension, Akira was having a hard time keeping his breath steady. Finally his father broke the silence.

“Anything else you are keeping from us?” The scowl never left his face. Akira had no idea what to tell them. Yes, he had secrets but they were secrets he couldn’t begin to explain to them. Even if he tried, he would just get yelled at for not being a model citizen, as his mother liked to put it. He decided on telling him about Komoshida. If they were paying any attention, he was sure they heard about him and knew the connection to his school. Hopefully it would scratch at the itch they had to dissect every bit of his life away. 

“There was an awful teacher at my school, Komoshida, who tried to get me kicked out for nothing. I was staying out of trouble but he leaked my record to the student body so there were all sorts of rumors going around when I first arrived. Nothing amounted from that though, it turned out he was abusing students and lying. After his confession, he was gone. Good riddens.” Akira mumbled that last bit more to himself.

“Yes, we heard about Komoshida in the news. Apparently the Phantom Thieves changed his heart.” His father pondered over Akira’s story for a minute, “anything to say about them?”

Akira felt he was back being interrogated by Sae. What did they know and why don’t they just come out with it? It would make everything a whole lot easier. “Komoshida was a terrible person. I’m glad someone did something about him. The school certainly wasn’t.” 

“That’s it? I’d think you might have some idea about who these Phantom Thieves are since they started at your school?” His father was definitely interrogating him.

“No idea.” Akira kept his cool, despite wanting to scream. That’s just like them. They were looking for proof of his association with the Phantom Thieves and a reason to punish him. 

His father clicked his tongue and sat forward, anger permeating his whole body. “Alright cut the crap, we know you know more than that.” 

Akira was shocked. He had never been this forward with Akira before. They always danced around truths and manipulated Akira to admit when he did something they felt was wrong. “I don’t know anything else.” There was no way Akira was going to confess anything to them this time.

His father opened a drawer in the side table and pulled out a newspaper from November 20th. The fire that had been building in Akira suddenly ran cold. The headline read Leader of Phantom Thieves Arrested. He had been in and out of consciousness after the interrogation so he had no idea what the news said about him. Sojiro only mentioned that they didn’t release his name. His father flipped to the main article and began reading.

“A 16 year old boy has been taken into police custody. He has confessed to being the leader of the Phantom Thieves and awaits trial. His charges include Obstruction of Justice, Blackmail, Defamation, Possession of Weapons, and Manslaughter. The police refuse to release his name but he has a prior criminal record and had to leave his hometown to fulfill his probation in Tokyo.” Akira’s father dropped the paper in front of Akira. “That story sure sounds familiar.” 

Akira couldn’t think of a way he could get out of this. That article drew a straight line from Joker to himself. He didn’t speak.

“And what about that video that was broadcasting throughout the whole country? We saw your face behind that mask. You think your own parents wouldn’t recognize you!” His father was yelling now.

Akira looked over at his mother who had been silent this whole time. A few tears rolled down her cheeks. 

“We thought you killed someone... we thought you died…” She said softly. “They reported your suicide. What happened?” 

A mix of fright and fury was building inside Akira. “You could have called me.”

“What?” His father spat.

“I said, you could have called me! I have a phone. You could have picked up the damn phone and called me once!” Akira didn’t know when he stood up but he was now on his feet. Morgana was standing on the chair at his side in a defensive pose. 

“And said what? You’re running around, what? Changing hearts, as this…. this band of criminals? We didn’t raise you to go around breaking the law!” His father was also on his feet. 

“You didn’t even check that I made it to Tokyo. You just dropped me at the station and drove off.” 

“Don’t change the subject. We know you are this leader, admit it.” His father shouted. 

“You don’t know anything about me. Did you think you could just ship me off and I’d come back the same obedient kid I left as?” 

“We thought you would’ve learned your lesson the first time you were arrested.” His father’s gaze was full of fury and disappointment, just like the night of his arrest. 

“There was nothing just about that arrest.” Akira’s voice shifted. It reminded Morgana of when they would meet the shadow of someone who needed a change of heart, commanding and certain. Internally, Akira felt like he was suffocating. He needed fresh air and needed to clear his head. He picked Morgana up and stormed towards the front door. 

“You think you’re the expert on what’s just and unjust now? I think your ego is getting the best of you!” Akira slammed the door behind him, cutting off his father.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> some drama up in the Kurusu household!
> 
> I will be taking a little time off posting for personal reasons. I have most of this written but I need to edit it and can’t right now


	4. Chapter 4

Akira just walked. Morgana still clutched to his chest. He walked and attempted to slow his breathing; he was trapped in thought but finally looked around to figure out where he’d gone. It was a small park near school. He kneeled down in the soft grass and dropped Morgana in front of him. Exhaustion overcame Akira and he wanted to lie down right there in the grass.

“Are you okay?” Morgana sat patiently across from Akira. He kept his head down, his black fringe hiding a few tears falling down his face. 

“They don’t understand anything. They have no idea what we’ve been through- what  _ I’ve  _ been through.” Akira’s voice cracked slightly and he noticed his hands were trembling. He closed his fists to steady them.

“I helped that woman. She would’ve-“ he stopped not wanting to think about what Shido would’ve done if they were alone. A few more tears fell and he choked back a sob. He wasn’t going to let Morgana see him cry. 

“You’ve helped so many people, Akira. They can’t change that. Those people know what you did for them and are grateful.” Morgana said firmly. 

“But they are never going to understand that. Even if I try to explain.”

“It’s hard to believe but…” Morgana was abruptly cut off. 

“No Morgana.” Akira spat through tears. “They are  _ my _ parents. You have to trust me on this.” Morgana snapped his mouth shut, stunned that Akira spoke to him like that. Akira didn't feel like talking anymore and sat in the grass petting Morgana for what felt like an hour. His breath steadied and his tears had dried up but he kept going through what would happen if he told his parents. Every scenario ended badly for him. At best, they’d blame him and decide some punishment, perhaps he wouldn’t be allowed to visit Ryuji over summer break; and at worst, they’d call the police with a confession. 

“It’s getting cold out, let’s go home.” Morgana’s voice broke through. Akira snapped out of his daze and nodded.

They didn’t speak until they were standing outside the house again. It was quiet and the lights were off. 

“Think they went to bed?” Morgana asked. 

“Hopefully.” He took a deep breath and pushed open the front door. The house was dark and silent. He quietly gathered his school things and went straight to his room. The light in his parent’s room was on and he could hear soft voices. 

Akira dropped everything on the floor of his bedroom and picked up his phone. “Shit! I gotta call Ryuji back…” He redialed and closed the door after Morgana. Morgana made a habit of staying downstairs or going for a walk when Akira was on the phone with Ryuji.

Ryuji picked up after a couple rings, “Hi Akira! Is everything alright? You missed my call...” He sounded concerned.

“Hey Ryuji. I’m really sorry. Some stuff happened and I left my phone behind. I’m alright though.” Akira tried to put on a cheerful tone but Ryuji saw through it immediately.

“What kinda stuff, Akira?” Ryuji could always tell when something was wrong and Akira knew there was no point in hiding it. He sighed.

“Fight with the family…” Akira felt like he was fighting to get the words out. He hated troubling Ryuji with family drama. 

“You alright? Are you hurt?” Ryuji sounded scared now. 

“No, no. Just some yelling, I’m alright… they figured out about us and some other stuff.” Akira laid back on his pillows. He felt guilty for worrying Ryuji.

“O-oh… I mean good, yellin’ is awful but… could be worse.” Ryuji paused awkwardly. Akira knew he was thinking about his dad and his heart sank. Ryuji had a complicated family history and the idea that he worried him this much crushed Akira. “How’d they take it?” 

“I’m not kicked out,” he let out a forced laugh, “so that’s good.”

“Heh, yeah..” there was a long pause but Akira could sense relief, “I just want you to be safe… What other stuff did they find out?”

“They have some suspicions about the Phantom Thieves. They saw a newspaper article from that day.”

“Think you can tell ‘em?” There was skepticism in Ryuji’s voice. Since Akira’s been home, he’s mentioned a little more about his parents so Ryuji was getting a picture of what they were like.

“They’re not gonna listen to what I have to say. It’ll just give them more of a reason to treat me like a criminal.” Akira sighed.

“’m sorry I can’t be there with you.” 

“Don’t be sorry. I had to come back, I didn’t have much of a choice.”

“Yeah but it effin’ sucks, man. We only had a month together after you got outta juvie and now your parents are bein’ shitty. I just wish I could help you…” Ryuji trailed off at this statement. 

“I’m fine. It wasn’t a big deal.” Akira said automatically. His stomach twisted. Why did Ryuji feel like he needed to help him? It was one fight and he was fine. 

“I’m sorry… I just wanna be there for you. I know you’re strong and can take anything but… I-I love you and I don’t want you feeling like you have to go through this all alone.” 

Akira’s stomach knotted up.  _ I’m the worst boyfriend ever.  _ “I’m sorry, Ryuji… I love you too, more than anything… .and thank you for being there for me. I really need you right now.”

“Always.”

There was a long pause but Akira was just enjoying listening to Ryuji’s soft breaths in the receiver.

“You tired?” Ryuji spoke up after a few minutes.

“Mm, no. I’m alright.” Akira was tired but he didn’t want Ryuji to go. “Tell me about your day?” He asked softly.

“Kay.” Ryuji started into every detail of his day and Akira felt his eyelids grow heavy from his boyfriend’s soothing voice.

_ Akira awoke suddenly, unable to concentrate on his surroundings. He was soaking wet and moved to wipe water away from his eyes. His arms stopped, cold metal digging into his wrists keeping them in place behind his back. He panicked and jerked them around trying to release himself. This caused the already broken skin to burn angrily and he felt a few drops of hot liquid drip onto his hands. A chilling voice spoke, “you still don’t get it do you? Give it up!” _

_ Akira was kicked aside and fell painfully onto his shoulder. He grimaced as a hand yanked his head up. He blacked out. _

_ He was still in the interrogation room staring down the barrel of a gun. Akechi was standing at the other end of it, eyes mad with bloodlust. _

_ “This is how your justice ends.” The gunshot went off and Akira was now lying on a rooftop high up in the clouds. Yaldabaoth towered over him. _

_ “Traitorous fools. You mortals think you can defeat a god? You have failed.” His laugh boomed through the sky and screams echoed from the streets below.  _

_ “No!” Akira shouted. He was falling and the Thieves were all back in Shibuya Square with police surrounding them.  _

_ "That’s them! Arrest the Phantom Thieves!” One by one his friends were handcuffed and dragged off to separate cars.  _

_ “No! Ann, Futaba….” Akira felt a knee come down between his shoulder blades, pinning him to the street. “Stop it! Leave them alone!”  _

_ Ryuji struggled against the cop that held him. “Stop resisting.” A vile voice shouted. Akira heard a sharp crack and Ryuji’s scream.  _

_ "Ryuji! No!”  _

“No!” Akira shot up in bed. He was drenched in sweat and still in his school uniform. Morgana was back and his phone was resting where his head once was. 

Morgana jumped, “What’s wrong?” 

Akira steadied his breath and looked around. He must have dozed off but he felt disoriented. He hasn’t had any serious nightmares since November. Sure, they returned from time to time in juvie but that’s different. He was home and safe. He pondered this for a moment before replying to Morgana. “’m... fine. Just a bad dream.” He got up, stripped off the sweaty clothes, and put on a black shirt and olive green sweatpants. It was nearly 2 in the morning and Ryuji must have gone to bed after Akira fell asleep. He crawled back into bed and Morgana curled up beside him. He laid down but found it difficult to fall back asleep. Some days he felt as anxious as he did locked up in solitary. Was he really safe? The dream replayed in his head every time he tried to close his eyes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for all your nice comments and the kudos! I love reading the feedback and seeing people enjoy the story. I've had a rough few weeks but felt up to editing this chapter tonight.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading! I hope you enjoy and I plan to post a new chapter once or twice a week. I am also estimating the number of chapters so there may be more!


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